Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-11-11
MOUNTAINS OF SUGAR.
The Tremendous Quantt los Of saecharin'
Consumed in This Country.

The Tremendous Quantt los Of saechsrine
Consumed in This Country.
Americans ought to be the sweetest
people on earth if. as has been asserted,
food goes to make the race. The guam
tity of sweets landed at this port dur
ing year would amaze any one who
has not given the subject special atten-
ton. 1t would appear that Americans
are preserved in sugar. ahoat on rivers
Of saccharine. From West Indies black
strap to golden syrup. from dainty
ady-fngers to solid pound cake, from
molasses candy to the most delicious
bonbons, Americans beat all other peo-
Piles as absorbers of saccharine, tho
French not excepted. No adequate
/ idea of the enormous quantity Of sugar
consumed in this c, ~ can be con-
| veyed by statement in pounds The
I figures. however, indicate that Uncle
/ Sam has tremendous sweet tooth.
The total sugar importations for the
year 1886 amounted to 2,49S, 1872 900
pounds. or about loo, 600 tons, valued
/ at 71,6o4.69S To this tremendous
aggregate Cuba alone contributed
/ l.2o1 Dos, 900 pounds; Brazil sent 22S.-
| 062. 900 pounds; Germany (beet sugar..
| 203. 2SS. o0) pounds. and the Sandwich
Islands Gree sugar), 1871, 622, o0) pounds.
Smaller quantities were imported from
| the West Indies and other countries.
To the az grcgate OF import must he
added the domestic product to find the
total consumption of sugar in tho
United States.
The best imported sugar is the CEN
trifugal, In form of coarse crystalline
PARTICLES. varying in sizs according to
the grade or quality of the article. The
lowest form of tho product is called
melada. thick strip. of which COM
pnrativoly little is now imported.
Samples OF sugar are taken from u
specified number OF casks Of every cargo
by Government samplers and sent to
experts. who determine the grade as a
basis Of fixing the duty thereon. The
instrument employed to indicate tho
degree of variation in tho quality of
sugar Is called a polariscope, and a
variation OF one degree means differ
ence Of 1-itth OF per cent duty, a
small fraction. but on millions OF pounds
| it means thousands OF dollars.
The manner of handling sugar in tho
port has recently undergone change.
1t is another instance of the condensa-
ton Of business methods. whereby the
same results are obtained by fewer
workers. Formerly the great bulk of
sugar was stored in the warehouses and
withdrawn by relincrs from time to
| time--a method which gave employ
ment to great number If coopers and
| laborers, Now the bulk of it COOS di-
rect to the retineries. and good many
workmen have lost their occupation in
consequence.
In the busy season, which usually be-
! Gins about March | and ends about the
middle of July. rs many rs twenty-five
or thirty vessels are distributed mt one
time along the Brooklyn water front.
discharging their cargoes. An idea of
the bnlk of an average sugar cargo can
only be formed by seeing, say 1000
hogsheals. of an average weight of SOC
pounds. spread out upon the dock. One
hundred of such cargoes, If piled in
the form of pyramid, would make
sugar Cheops. Every package is
weighed by Government officer or q
sworn special. The former receives 81
day, six days in the week; the Other
80 cents an hour for actual service
The wcigher's position is no sinecure
He is a worker. He must stand at the
scales from seven Il. IN. until sunset; he
must endure blazing suns and face the
coolest winds.
What becomes Of the million tons o.
imported sugar, not to mention The do
mcstic produci3 Ask the ladies, ask
the children. ask The baker and the
confectioner. ask the housekeeper.
1t goes into millions of cups of coffee
and tea daily; into cakes, preserves and
pics into fruits and sauces and hun,
dred other things. The Western flap
jack swims in saccharine fluid; it per
meales the luscious griddle cake. The
cunning confcctioucr and skilled house
wife mold the crude ar ice into multi
form artistic shapes and invest the sub
stance with a delicious consistency
! II the supply were Suddenly stopped
society would lee converted into sauer.
kra,5. " \. EccniRg Sdm